Edge Grinder released (really - DKS inside) - NEW GAME! WHAAAAAA!

[redbox]

I really love the C64 loader!

It is nice...

Why don't a few coders do the same for the CPC version?

Probably because it doesn't take 20 years to load a game from a CPC disc... 

[Devilmarkus]

Well it also loaded quite fast enough on the C64

[SyX]

I love the shoot'em'ups and this game feel even better than Star Sabre, Great Work Axelay!!! 
 

I would also love to hear from anyone who happens to try it out on the real thing, how it looks (does it work), and what their setup was.  Edge Grinder is using the 'CRTC register 3' method to get the fine scrolling, as was used in a handful of commercial games.  The issues this can create are well known, but I'd really like to know how common screens that produce acceptable results are.  I already have two slightly different acceptable results on my two CTMs, and two different kinds of failure on modulators.

I have been able to test with more calm in my two 6128 (CRTC 2 and 4) attached to a CRT TV by scart and the scroll WOW, the scroll is super smooth and the scoreboard stays fixed... i remember that the first examples of this technique that you put a few time ago, had a little shake in the scoreboard, but the scoreboard in Edge Grinder is rock solid 

Axelay could you make a postmortem in the line of Gamasutra (what went right and wrong, technical difficulties, ...) for all the people interested in the technical side

I don't want to forget the wonderful work of the Tom & Jerry, Smila and STE. Great Work people!!!

Sorry for the bad photographer, me 

[TMR]

Probably because it doesn't take 20 years to load a game from a CPC disc... 
 

 That video was a stock C64 and 1541 loading the music, picture and then game in under one minute... that's a bit less than twenty years. =-)

[Ygdrazil]

 That video was a stock C64 and 1541 loading the music, picture and then game in under one minute... that's a bit less than twenty years. =-)

Well, but it took 20+ years for the CPC to foster a decent smooth scrolling horizontal shooter 

Just kidding, congratulations for a great job done with Edge Grinder!!!

/Ygdrazil
 

[Xifos]

Well...
That's really impressive, an horizontal shooter with such frame rate, with music, on cpc (and too hard for me).
 

I know i must not think only of technical side of games, but i have just a little question for Axelay.
The scroll is one pixel mode 0 at 25 hz, right ?
Sprites are faster than the scroll, do they move at byte steps ?
(i know i should read the source code  )

[Gryzor]

That's a good idea, a postmortem on its development. It would be a really interesting read...

[fgbrain]

Really enjoyable and impressive game. Too bad we didnt have enough of these kind back in the 80s.

My only complaints:
Lack of sound effects and secondly, it is terribly hard for me at least..

Well done Axelay !!

[TMR]

Just kidding, congratulations for a great job done with Edge Grinder!!!

Thanks very much on behalf of everyone involved and it's good to know that the game i helped design is well received over here. =-)

i'd like to think this "collabortition" is working out really well (in the present tense because there are still versions in various stages of development for other machines) so now someone needs to step forward to start the next one...

[TFM]

Hello,

The game is not too hard, you just have to play a little bit with.  I am not an ace with shooters and I manage to
finish it. That's just a question of memory in fact :-).

Hope there will not be like on C64 a ridiculous hack with infinite lives as the game doesn't need it at all...

T&J/GPA

Ok, YOU can do that! I can't. And there are some scenes, when you have too much enemies and you are forced to loose a life. And three lives are used up very, very, quick. Sorry, I got no joystick here. And this doesn't make it more easy. But if somebody need me as a beta tester for a stupid player, give me a call! 

[MacDeath]

So, who is gonna put an online Video review of the game, featuring longplay sort of a and so on, in high quality cinemascope ?

Please with edited sound so the music is enjoyable...

[Axelay]

Axelay could you make a postmortem in the line of Gamasutra (what went right and wrong, technical difficulties, ...) for all the people interested in the technical side

Hmm, I'll consider it, but having just spent the last month commenting the source I'd really like to get back to the coding on some other projects.  I'm also not much of a story teller, that's partly why I stick with coding shooters! 

The scroll is one pixel mode 0 at 25 hz, right ?
Sprites are faster than the scroll, do they move at byte steps ?
(i know i should read the source code  )

Yes on all counts. 

[Axelay]

So, who is gonna put an online Video review of the game, featuring longplay sort of a and so on, in high quality cinemascope ?

Please with edited sound so the music is enjoyable...

I think Metr will be uploading a video soon.

[SyX]

Hmm, I'll consider it, but having just spent the last month commenting the source I'd really like to get back to the coding on some other projects.  I'm also not much of a story teller, that's partly why I stick with coding shooters! 

Je je je, in that case ...More Shooters Axelay!!! XDDD

... although i was thinking more in the line of a few sentences telling the "magic" behind your wonderful work, not a big article because if i need more info, i always can take a look at the sources, and thanks for your  kindness at making them available.

[Metr]

I think Metr will be uploading a video soon.

Here it is !


Edge Grinder Amstrad cpc HD

[Gryzor]

Whoa. Didn't have the time to play it yet, but it looks awesome... The tune really sounds like an ST - those drums are the same as in Wings of Death!

[Executioner]

Wow, that scroll looks great, even in the video (playing on a 60Hz laptop screen). I'll have to get my real CPC out so I can see it on the real thing. Great work again, Paul.

[Axelay]

I forgot to add last time, thanks Syx & Redbox for checking it out on your real CPCs!

Je je je, in that case ...More Shooters Axelay!!! XDDD

... although i was thinking more in the line of a few sentences telling the "magic" behind your wonderful work, not a big article because if i need more info, i always can take a look at the sources, and thanks for your  kindness at making them available.

In that case, I guess I can try to put together a couple of paragraphs in the next few days and post them here.  Probably just on the sprite code & tile writer, which are the more "unique" parts of the project compared to my previous games, as well as the most CPU consuming.

[SyX]

Thanks Axelay

[mr_lou]

The video looks great.
Sadly, the scroll isn't like that at all on my CPC464, nor with Arnold emulator. So I can't enjoy the game.

[Gryzor]

I forgot to add last time, thanks Syx & Redbox for checking it out on your real CPCs!

Played it myself on my 6128 this morning, soooo nice! The only gripe I have is that fire is not fast enough. Can't explain it well enough, but it feels like it misses some of the SPACE presses...

[ukmarkh]

This new game is really good, and very smooth. There are enough examples out there now that prove the CPC really can do smooth side scrolling in games.
 
I'd like Paul to come up with something different for his next game, a Super Star dust clone for the CPC would be nice or a Space Invaders Xtreme style game. It'd be nice to see some of those ideas converted to the iPhone played out on a CPC... Angry Birds anyone? 

[Axelay]

The video looks great.
Sadly, the scroll isn't like that at all on my CPC464, nor with Arnold emulator. So I can't enjoy the game.

Thanks for trying it out, sorry to hear the result wasn't good.  Could you give some more detail?  What are you seeing?  Are you using an Amstrad monitor or something else?  Have you ever played other R3 scrolling games on your 464 (Killer Cobra, Ghosts'n'Goblins, Prehistorik 2, Out of this World)


I dont think the last version of Arnold I tried supported R3 scrolling either.

Played it myself on my 6128 this morning, soooo nice! The only gripe I have is that fire is not fast enough. Can't explain it well enough, but it feels like it misses some of the SPACE presses...

Thanks for trying it.  With the firing, when you feel it's missing the space press, is it the case that you are a fair way back from what you are shooting at and there's already a shot on screen?  The game is based on the 8 C64 sprite limit with no multiplexing, so there's only one player shot at a time, and as fast as the bullet moves, it's still pretty easy to fire faster than you can shoot if you are some way back from the enemies.

[mr_lou]

Thanks for trying it out, sorry to hear the result wasn't good.  Could you give some more detail?  What are you seeing?  Are you using an Amstrad monitor or something else?  Have you ever played other R3 scrolling games on your 464 (Killer Cobra, Ghosts'n'Goblins, Prehistorik 2, Out of this World)

It's moving rather chunky. Probably easiest to just show a video.
http://dewfall.dk/MOV_0023.mp4

Yes, I've tried Killer Cobra which moves smoothly (but insanely fast).

[Gryzor]

@mr_lou: ouch, this is not smooth indeed...

@Axelay: yeah, that's the issue, silly of me not to notice it myself.